On the 23rd Anniversary of 9/11, “Tribute in Light” Inspires Remembrance and Hope

Look up tonight as “Tribute in Light” once again returns the Twin Towers to their home in the New York City skyline.

At dusk on September 11, 2001, the sky above Lower Manhattan was clouded with smoke and ash. As the sun sets on New York this Wednesday, 23 years after the 9/11 attacks, two brilliant towers of light will fill the airspace instead. Beneath the skies both then and now: a city — and a nation — forever changed.

“Tribute in Light” was first presented in March of 2002 as a collective initiative by artists and designers to honor the countless lives lost and altered by the tragic events of 9/11. Every year since, on the anniversary of the attacks, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum sends up the twin beams just south of where the original buildings once stood. Comprising eighty-eight 7,000-watt light bulbs, they are the “most powerful shafts of light ever projected from Earth.” On a clear night, “Tribute in Light” can be seen within 60 miles of Lower Manhattan. 

By nature, annual traditions, as “Tribute in Light” has come to be in New York City, inspire reflection on the year left behind. Since the lights last shined over Lower Manhattan, the neighborhood has continued rebuilding and reinventing itself, flourishing artistically, culturally and economically. This spirited momentum runs through Lower Manhattan’s residents and visitors too: after everything, they’ve got theater to see, restaurants to try, games to play, fun to have, life to live downtown. 

“Tribute in Light” allows us to remember what we’ve lost, but reminds us what we stand to gain when we acknowledge that resilience, hope and the pursuit of joy are the only antidotes to terror. As you look up at the night sky, see Lower Manhattan for all that it is — highs and lows, rush and stillness, changes and stubborn resilience — in the poignant light of reflection, if only until dawn. 

Photo courtesy of Gary Hershorn